Stricken
by Swaggiest Purple
Summary: Between an ailing best friend and a draft summons for a war he wants no part of, Kaito didn't think there was a way his life could get any harder. Twoshot. Some KaiGaku.


"I've been drafted."

Gakupo didn't even look at him. He sat quietly at the edge of the low, wooden landing that lined the outside of the house, feet grazing against the ground below them as he drew circles on top of his yukata with one finger. When this had gone on for far too long, Kaito spoke up again.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Still no response. The blank, unreadable expression on Gakupo's face told Kaito nothing about how he was taking the news, and it made him wonder if he had heard him at all. Each circle he drew became tighter and tighter until he stopped in the middle completely, every finger trembling, and he rested his hand on the crest of his leg. Kaito realized that despite how stoic and resolute Gakupo was trying to appear, the tremble had escaped to his shoulders – softly, at first, until nearly his entire body was shuddering up and down unabated. Gakupo put his other hand up to his face in order to hide it from his friend.

Kaito continued. "I didn't want to tell you until you really had to know. So you wouldn't worry so much."

The complete and utter lack of a reply was disquieting. Kaito shifted his body so that he was a little closer to him. Their shoulders touched, and not only could he feel that Gakupo was indeed shaking with increased force as the minutes ticked by, but he could also feel a bit of bone from his shoulder jutting out even from the fabric of both of their clothing. It was no shock to him that he was so thin, though – even as a boy, Gakupo had been sickly, and as a result he hadn't been able to grow to the fullest height or weight that he could. When he had the strength to stand up straight, he was a couple of inches shorter than his friend, and not nearly as filled out. As younger adolescents, Kaito had a few memories of easily being able to pick Gakupo up and take him back to his house after he collapsed from exhaustion whenever they played outside for too long. He would be given tea by Gakupo's grandmother as a treat, and then he'd watch from the hallway as she stooped over his bed, feeding him her homemade medicine and stroking his forehead gently.

Bringing himself back to the present, the blue-haired man uttered next, "You've been so weak lately. I just wanted you to focus on getting better."

It wasn't a lie. For the past month or so, Gakupo hadn't been able to leave the house unattended. Keeping him in a good mood meant there was a higher chance he could recover quicker. He had his periods of sickness and of momentary healthfulness, but Kaito could have sworn that each time he got better, the next lapse was worse than the one before it. The illness that afflicted him never truly went away. It was just waiting for its next opportunity to strike, and each time it did, it chipped away a little more at his health and body. Some people in their village were surprised he was still alive.

"Please say something." Kaito couldn't stand the silence anymore. He reached over and grasped the hand that was covering Gakupo's face, lowering it once he had a proper hold of it and he was sure the other male wasn't resisting.

"I don't know what to say." Gakupo wasn't making eye contact with him – his gaze was rooted to his own lap. In addition, his voice was coming out very soft, too, and Kaito had to lean in closer to be able to hear him. "You're going to go away and I don't know if you're coming back."

"If I could stay, I would."

The purple-haired man laughed suddenly, but his chuckles were quickly brought to a halt by a serious coughing fit that lasted for over a couple of minutes and left his throat sore and raw. Kaito tried to help by rubbing his back in a circular motion until the hacking stopped. Once he had a hold of himself again, Gakupo went on with what he was going to say, albeit a little hoarsely. "All you ever do is help work at Mrs. Nakashima's store and come here to help take care of me. I know you want to see more besides just this village. You can't pretend you're not at least a little excited for this, somewhere deep down."

It was Kaito's turn to laugh, and when Gakupo finally raised his head up to look at him – only to be wearing one of the most incredulous faces Kaito had ever seen him put on – the man's snickering rose in volume. He explained himself before he was asked to do so: "I like taking care of you. And yeah, I do want to see more of the world, but I want you to come with me."

Gakupo smiled weakly at him and said, "Then when you come back and I'm better, let's go."

"Thank you." Kaito's hand managed to find its way toward the other male's; their fingers brushed together for a moment, and when Gakupo made no move to pull away from him, Kaito let his hand rest atop his.

However, confused at his earlier sudden expression of gratitude, Gakupo quirked a brow and questioned, "For saying I want to go with you?"

"For not saying '_if_ you come back.'"

The ailing man scoffed, "Well, if you don't, I'd have to set off and bring you back home, and you know I have a hard time walking."

Kaito grinned widely at his comment. "I'll do my best. You focus on getting better, okay? I'm holding you to your promise."

"I will." Gakupo reclined against him and looked out in the direction of the setting sun ahead of them. It had already slipped down more than halfway below the horizon, signaling to him that he and Kaito had been talking for a lot longer than he thought. He wanted to spend more time there with him, but the resurgence of another coughing fit and the darkening of the red and pink sky above them preordained that it was getting to be time to head inside for the day.

As if beckoned, someone suddenly opened the sliding door located directly behind the pair, and in surprise Gakupo immediately shifted away from Kaito – he saw his friend do the same thing, along with a shamefaced look on his features, while he turned to see who had interrupted them.

Upon recognizing his grandmother, Gakupo spoke to her as soon as he could, attempting to dispel any awkwardness in the process. "W-We were just heading in, _obaa-chan_."

"I should hope so," she answered, her voice sounding concerned, but to a great extent quite gentle. "I could hear you coughing from the other room, and it is already getting dark."

"It's my fault. I lost track of time." Kaito spoke up, his words accompanied with the best bow he could attain in his position. "I'm sorry."

The old woman shook her head. "No harm done; why don't you both come in now?"

Kaito was on his feet in a few seconds, and upon seeing Gakupo struggling with the task, he helped him to his own by bending down beside him and (scarily enough) managing to get his arm around his entire torso before hoisting him up. They stood together and took a couple of steps toward the door, Kaito supporting most of Gakupo's weight along the way. When they got inside and Gakupo's grandmother closed the door behind them, Kaito asked his friend, "Can you stand on your own?"

"Just take me to my bed." There was a remote suggestion of defeat in the way he lowered his head as he said it. He knew he couldn't manage it on his own, and there was no point to try and subsequently waste everyone's time.

Kaito kept cheerful, though, and made no indication that there was anything amiss as he helped him the rest of the short distance it took to get to the futon that was lying on the floor just several feet away. This room belonged to Gakupo – his grandmother liked for him to have easy access to the fresh air outside and remarkable view of the sprawling expanse of nature that surrounded the house, believing that it would aid him in recovery. Soon after the family first learned of his illness when he was very, very young, they moved a little further away from the rest of the village in desperate hopes that it would help cure him. Even though it was just his grandmother and Gumi left in the family now, they all lived there together and it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for the two. Unfortunately for Gakupo, because he was often bed-ridden and had a hard time leaving the house, their move marked the end of nearly all of his existing or future friendships except for Kaito (who was his only true friend in the entire community – either way, not many kids found it appealing to play with a chronically ill child). However, to all three of them it was their beloved home, with too many memories there for them to ever consider otherwise.

Gakupo's grandmother left them alone for a minute while she went to make tea and some medicine for her grandson. Kaito gently lowered his friend onto the futon, even going so far as to help place the sheets over him once he had lain down.

"You don't need to do all that," Gakupo protested. "I'm not in that terrible of a condition."

"Coming from someone who can't stand on his own?" A smile was playing on Kaito's lips.

The purple-haired man pursed his own and said nothing for a moment. Kaito thought that he had maybe gone too far and offended him, but then Gakupo shifted his blue-eyed gaze upward until he was staring directly at him, and he declared, "I'm going with you tomorrow though, right?"

Kaito blinked. He sat there in front of him, confused, until finally he gathered his thoughts together again and was able to form at least one word: "What?"

"Tomorrow. With you. You're going to the train station, right? I want to see you off properly."

"That train station is five miles away from here, and the only way is on foot. You'd never make it."

Gakupo crossed his arms stubbornly and replied, "I can just lean on you. You can help me there."

"How about on the way back?"

"Gumi can come with us, and I can lean on her when we get back."

"It's still a long way! What if she can't support your weight, or if you collapse on the way back? She can't carry you; she's only a sixteen-year-old girl."

The silence of defeat greeted Kaito's ears, but it was a short-lived victory, and he didn't feel very triumphant for winning the argument either way – seeing Gakupo's head slump downwards in such a discouraged manner made him wish his words had been less harsh.

"But what if this is the last time I'm going to see you?" Gakupo asked wistfully.

The noise of someone clearing their throat could be heard from the hallway outside, and the two men turned to see Gakupo's grandmother enter the room while holding a tray of tea. "You can take Mr. Nakashima's horse. That couple trusts you very much, dear, and probably wouldn't mind letting you borrow him for the morning."

"_Obaa-chan_, you overheard us?"

She smiled down at her grandson and sat beside him in order to give him his tea. "A little."

Kaito still wasn't entirely certain about the plan. His doubt and concern were plainly encompassed in his face, especially in the way he set his jaw so rigidly while he mulled it over. Finally, he spoke up again, albeit with more objections. "I can ride him there, but what about on the way back? Does he know how to ride a horse? If he fell off, I…well, I don't _think_…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought aloud.

"_I've_ never ridden a horse, but Gumi has," Gakupo said unworriedly.

"My thoughts exactly, child," his grandmother answered. "She can take him there and back – all you would have to do is walk alongside them, and the horse can carry your things, as well."

At this, Kaito realized that there wasn't really anything else to pick at with the arrangement, and he sighed with frustration. "Why are you on board with this?" The question was directed toward the old woman. "You should want to keep him safe and indoors. He can hardly walk. You saw that with your own eyes when we were heading in, didn't you?" The man didn't want to seem disrespectful, but it was hard to even keep the height of his voice under control at this point. The entire idea was ridiculous to him.

She took a long pause before speaking – one that meant she had some very important things to say, and that the two of them should listen – during which Gakupo began to slowly sip at his tea.

"I've known the both of you ever since you first came into this world. My dear, you are so close to this family that I consider you a part of it, as well, and I know that many men from our village have already been drafted – for most of them, those steps to the train station were the last ones they were ever going to take in our village." She looked back down toward Gakupo. "I know my grandson. It was hard for him to accept that you're going away, but if he wants to go with you, then that means he has, and it takes a special kind of strength for that. He can make the journey."

Kaito was surprised at first that she knew what the trip was for without him having to say anything outright, but then he remembered that she was such an observant and intelligent woman that it shouldn't have been much of a shock in the first place. Still, her words rang true to him, and he knew that she was right. He nodded in agreement. "Okay."

As soon as he consented, Kaito could see a great deal of worry melt away from Gakupo's face, and he was much chipper than before. Not wanting to be completely outdone, though, Kaito told his friend in a half-teasing tone of voice, "If you really do want to go, then you should get some sleep."

"You should, as well," Gakupo's grandmother chimed in. "It's going to be a big day for you both. I'll go tell Gumi she'll be needed tomorrow morning. She'd be happy to accompany you."

The two men nodded and she stood up with the tray (and Gakupo's now-empty cup of tea on top of it), leaving them alone in her grandson's room once more.

Kaito was about to stand up so he could leave the house through the door that led out to the wooden landing they had been sitting upon earlier. He had some choices to make about what he was going to bring along with him, and maybe on the way home he could even stop by and ask the Nakashimas if using the horse was going to be alright with them. However, before he could even get on his feet, he heard Gakupo address him all of a sudden, speaking so softly that Kaito completely missed what he said.

"What was that?" he asked. The blue-haired man saw Gakupo shrink back in his bed a bit out of nervousness.

"I said that I don't want to be needy, but…" he hesitated, and then finally blurted out the rest. "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep? I'd have a hard time sleeping tonight otherwise."

"Sure." The answer was immediate, and Kaito settled himself back down onto the floor again once he said it.

Gakupo beamed. "Thank you." He adjusted his position in the bed to a much more satisfactory one, and put his head down to rest, his hair spread out all around him like a veil of lavender. Kaito couldn't remember the last time he had his long hair tied into a ponytail (his favorite style), but he knew that having it out like this made it much easier for him to lay his head down comfortably when he was very sick.

Now that Gakupo was in an adequate spot, Kaito took it upon himself to scoot a little further towards him so he was less than an inch away from his feet. He peeled the sheets away up to Gakupo's knees and moved even closer, making it so that the other male's calves were resting on his legs.

The sickly man started to object, his cheeks turning red when he realized what his friend was going to do. "You don't have to do this, I –"

"Don't say anything more. I won't be listening," Kaito interrupted. "You can't even stand up by yourself, can you? So no protests."

Gakupo pouted slightly, but since he didn't make any other movements or complaints, Kaito went ahead with it. He began by taking his friend's left calf between his hands and putting pressure on it from the bottom up, very slowly, in order to try and increase blood flow. Gakupo squirmed uncomfortably when he got to the more sensitive muscles, however, and Kaito didn't need to be told that meant it hurt – no matter how hard the purple-haired man tried to hide it. He had done this before, so the telltale signs of his light blue eyes narrowing, hands closing tightly over a small clump of loose yukata, alluded to his true condition.

"I'll be more careful," Kaito promised him, letting his fingers press lightly against the areas that were the sorest. There wasn't much muscle in the first place, though, and nearly every inch of what was there seemed to cause him pain when it was pushed against. Inwardly, Kaito frowned. He was growing a little more concerned for his friend's health, and was increasingly thinking of finding a polite yet very persuasive way to tell him not to go – either that, or lie about the horse and say that they didn't let him borrow it after all – that was, of course, until he looked down and noticed Gakupo staring at him intently.

"I know what you're thinking," the other man said. How was it that he could tell exactly what was on Kaito's mind? "And I _can_ make it. Don't worry about me anymore. Focus on yourself, will you? Tomorrow you're beginning a new life. It's exciting, isn't it?"

Kaito wanted to tell him that he'd rather stay here with him, that he would rather watch over his ailing friend while the sun set on yet another day because he was actually and truly scared of the unknown and what lay ahead of him, but he knew that he had to put on a brave face – the first of many, he was sure. "Yeah, it is."

"Just think: if I weren't sick, I'd be leaving with you tomorrow. Maybe we could have even fought together."

That was the last thing that Kaito wanted for him, but he wasn't certain if it was because he was so used to seeing him in such a weakened state that he couldn't imagine him in a battlefield, even though it was something Gakupo had pictured himself in a few times before. More likely than not, this was the result of his grandmother feeding him old war stories when he was young, some of which even included her long-dead husband. Gakupo doubtless thought himself some sort of noble samurai during all the time he had to himself in bed with nothing else to do.

Continuing his task, Kaito methodically kneaded the muscles up to his knee, finishing there and moving onto the other calf. Gakupo was staring up at the ceiling, patiently waiting until it was over. Despite the aching, he looked tired and ready for sleep as soon as Kaito was done. The blue-haired man felt Gakupo tense a little less with each bit of flesh he ran his hand over, and so he was able to finish rubbing gently up to his knee again in absolute silence, and without much more worry. He pulled away after that, pondering if he should have gone a step further and massaged above the knee – though he knew Gakupo wanted sleep and Kaito himself wished to avoid making him feel uncomfortable.

"Just get some rest now –" he began, until he looked over and noticed that Gakupo was already asleep. His chest rose up and down slowly, and with a slight unevenness to the way he breathed, but in spite of that he seemed peaceful. Kaito placed the sheets back over his friend's legs, whispering, "You're definitely going to need it."

* * *

Leading the Nakashimas' gentle horse by the reins the next day, Kaito approached the lone house just as the sun started to peek out over the horizon, and as soon as he rounded the corner in order to meet the family waiting in the back for him, the look on Gakupo's face almost had him on the ground in stitches. His reactions never failed to amuse and simultaneously brighten Kaito's mood.

It was clear he had never seen a horse so close up before. He was sitting beside his grandmother on the wooden landing, and she squeezed his hand comfortingly while he stared up at the animal, completely bewildered, his eyes as large as saucers. "It's…a lot bigger than I thought it'd be."

Kaito smiled at him, unable to hide the laughter in his voice as he spoke. "Don't worry, he's very calm. I wouldn't put you on a wild one."

Gumi, who was standing near her brother, jumped up immediately and went to the horse's side. She petted it softly and then nuzzled her head against its side. "This is Shinji, right? I heard he's very sweet."

"Yeah. You'll be fine with him, I take it?"

"Of course!" The green-haired girl exclaimed, immediately turning to her brother. "It'll be great, _onii-chan_! There's nothing to worry about."

"You both keep telling me that, but…" Gakupo eyed the horse a little uneasily from his safe perch upon the landing. "I suppose we'll have to see."

Kaito handed the reins over to Gumi and walked toward his best friend, teasing, "You aren't backing out now, are you?"

The other man shot him a small glare. "Of course not." He watched Kaito as he crouched down beside him, ready to help him stand up. Once Gakupo put an arm around an arm around his neck and was lifted to his feet by him, his grandmother retrieved a decently-sized crate that she had ready nearby to place on top of the landing and beside the horse. Kaito walked him there, waited for Gumi to get in the saddle first, and then stepped onto the crate with him, picking him up and hoisting him into the saddle behind her with care. As soon as he was sure that Gakupo was in a good position atop the horse, he stepped down and put the crate away himself.

"We're ready to go, then," Kaito said, eyeing the few bags he had attached to Shinji. Gumi seemed right at home with the reins, and despite the obvious fear that Gakupo was doing a poor job of masking on his face, he had nodded in response to Kaito's statement and put his arms around his sister's middle.

"Wait a moment, dear."

The blue-haired man turned to face the old woman behind him. "Yes?"

"You've always taken great care of my grandson, and I know that today will be no exception," she said, putting an arm on his shoulder affectionately. "I pray that this will not be the last time I see you."

Kaito nodded, smiling down at his friend's grandmother – though really, she was essentially his own grandmother at this point. "Thank you. I wish for the same." On a sudden impulse, he pulled her into a hug for a few brief moments, but when he let go, he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Not wanting to show her any hints of distress on his part, he kept his smile plastered on, saying, "It'll be fine, no matter what happens. Just be sure to take care of yourselves while I'm gone – whether I come back or not." He gave her one final, respectful bow, and then faced the two on the horse, giving Gumi the go-ahead to start moving.

They all set off together, Kaito keeping a brisk walking pace beside the horse as it ambled along, while the old woman took a seat on the landing again. She watched the figures get smaller and smaller in the distance while trying to keep her tears from spilling over her cheeks.

* * *

The train station was a little run down, but still neater than Kaito had expected it to be seeing as it was practically in the middle of nowhere. He had only been there a couple of times before, but none of them were with his sick friend. It was Gakupo's first time seeing the station or a train. On the way there, he had asked what the metal tracks nearby were for.

"For the train, of course," Kaito had answered.

Gakupo wrinkled his nose. "What sort of thing travels on that contraption?"

"You'll see."

They stopped next to the small train platform, but Gakupo was sorely aware that he wouldn't be able to step onto the platform itself and say goodbye. He'd have to do it on top of the horse (once Kaito was gone, there would be no one to put him back up on the animal). Either way, it wasn't as if he could stand on his own. Gakupo didn't want to be even more of a burden than he already was, so he simply watched as Kaito untied his things from Shinji and placed them next to an empty bench on the platform overlooking the tracks.

"The train should be here any minute," Kaito said, looking up at a conveniently placed clock close to them. He then turned to lock eyes with Gakupo and continued, "You'll be sure to write, yeah? I mean, whenever you can."

The purple-haired man nodded. He swallowed thickly, not trusting himself to speak – there was already a lump forming in his throat that wouldn't go away no matter how many times he willed it to. Breaking down here wasn't a good idea, though. More than anything, he should be sending his friend off with a kindhearted smile and some good words. Even though his voice was shaking, he attempted to do just that as soon as he had a bit of a clearer grasp of himself.

"G-Good luck."

"Thanks." Kaito grinned back, nearly all his teeth showing. He seemed to be a lot more okay with the parting than he should be, but it was probably an act – just put on a whole lot better than Gakupo's. "Be sure to eat. And get better."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he eats!" Gumi cut in excitedly. "He always feels a whole lot better whenever I give him stuff. When you come back, he'll be walking everywhere again, I bet! He'll even be able to come see you here with no help!"

"That's good to hear." He looked into Gakupo's eyes again and said, "Well, I know I'm leaving you in great hands, so I have nothing to worry about."

At that moment, a faint rumbling sound could be heard from further away down on the track. The horse shuffled a bit on its feet. Gumi put her hand on its neck and leaned in so she could speak softly to it, calming it down.

"Is that the…?" Gakupo began. He was so focused on peering out over the tracks to try to catch sight of the mysterious train that he hadn't noticed Kaito coming closer. The platform was raised a fair amount beside the horse – standing up as straight and tall as he could, the blue-haired man leaned in and Gakupo was suddenly aware of a firm warmth pressing against his cheek for just a brief instant that felt as though it lasted a lot longer than it actually did.

Kaito backed away after that, refusing to look at him for the moment and instead moving to give a kiss to Gumi as well. He rushed to grab his things by the bench and looked back at the two atop the horse while the giant, black train pulled in next to him. It made a loud, almost ear-shattering screech as it stopped, smoke billowing in giant clouds behind it. Waving and heading toward it, he yelled the only word he could think to say over the racket: "Goodbye!"

"Bye, Kai-Kai!" Gumi shouted, putting both of her arms into the air and moving them around frantically for him to see.

Gakupo couldn't even find the strength to move his lips, much less shout anything over the noise, but Kaito's grin just grew wider as the purple-haired man watched the side of the train swallow his form up. The colossal thing roared again and left with his friend in its belly noisily down the tracks, and only when it vanished completely was Gakupo able to finally whisper the word he had been too scared to utter:

"Goodbye."

* * *

**A/N**: So I hope that wasn't too bad. ;w; I'm so sorry, I'm still trying to work on _Undersong_, but then I get random fanfiction ideas and have to write them to get them out of my head. I hope you guys enjoyed this, though! The upcoming (and final) part to this twoshot will be coming up soon if all goes well!


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